Headlines Tuesday, June 30, 2026
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Colorado’s Primary Election is today; Series of wildfires burn across CO; Air quality alerts KGNU News
Colorado’s Primary Election is today
Colorado’s Primary Election is today. This primary’s turnout is on par with previous mid-term elections and state officials expect a lot more ballots to drop today.
Ballots must be received by 7pm tonight. The Secretary of State’s office says 780,000 voters have cast their ballot so far, 33% in the Democratic primary and 27% in the Republican primary, with many unaffiliated ballots not yet processed.
Colorado’s incumbent Secretary of State Jena Griswold said, “Our democracy relies on every voter making their voice heard. Turnout is making me very confident and optimistic about this election.”
Ballots cast by more than 1,000 unaffiliated voters have been disqualified from Colorado’s primary election because they returned both Democratic and Republican ballots. Unaffiliated voters receive both, but can only return one. County clerks are reminding unaffiliated voters to choose one ballot and discard the other. Unaffiliated voters make up more than half of the state’s active, registered electorate.
Voters are deciding party nominees in several major races — including governor, U.S. Senate, attorney general, secretary of state, and Colorado’s 8th Congressional District.
If you still have your ballot, don’t put it in the mail. Return it instead to an official drop box or a voting center. You can also vote in person or get a replacement ballot at any voting center.
Polls close at 7 p.m. Drop box and voting center locations are listed on the Secretary of State’s website.
This story was reported by the Colorado Capitol News Alliance.
Series of wildfires burn across CO
Multiple distinct wildfires burning in western and southern Colorado have together consumed more than 76,000 acres and killed three firefighters.
“Critical fire weather conditions” forecast each day this week could spur the wildfires’ growth across the state’s Western Slope and mountains, according to the National Weather Service’s Grand Junction office.
As of this morning the fires are:
- Snyder fire in Mesa County and Utah has reached 30,208 acres with no containment.
- Gold Mountain fire near Ouray has reached 8,276 acres.
- Willow fire near Leadville has consumed roughly 1,919 acres with no containment
- Aspen Acres fire in Custer County has spread to 23,123 acres, forcing evacuations
Another fire burning in our region is near Dolores in southwest Colorado.
Air quality alerts
Yesterday, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the Regional Air Quality Council issued an air quality alert. The alert is expected to last through the afternoon today.
Generally, if smoke drops visibility to less than 5 miles in an area, it has reached unhealthy levels. Those with heart disease and respiratory illnesses, young children and older adults are more at risk.
State health officials will continue to update air quality advisories.
CO Supreme Court rejects congressional redistricting measures
The Colorado Supreme Court has delivered a blow to Democratic redistricting efforts to draw more blue seats in the state.
The state’s highest court says the Democratic proposed initiatives did not pass muster on a technicality requiring single subjects for initiatives. Backers hoped to ask voters this fall to temporarily pause the state’s independent redistricting commission to draw seven blue seats, leaving only one red district in 2028.
Colorado’s current congressional delegation is evenly split 4-4. Democrats in Colorado say the decision is deeply disappointing and gives the party one less tool to combat Trump and Republicans’ mid-cycle redistricting.
This story was reported by the Colorado Capitol News Alliance.
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